Lars and Sadie
by Kikyz
Summary: ...are helpless, but that won't stop them from trying.
1. Sadie

Sadie's new co-worker is a jerk.

Lars is almost always in a sour mood. He's also kind of a slacker, clocking out early almost every day. He barely listens to her when she tries to explain a task (he always claimed 'I got it, it's not that complicated' , but she ends up having to go behind him to redo it more often than not ). When she tries to delegate duties, he always grumbled under his breath. But most days he puts in his earphones, and blatantly ignores her. It made her shifts at the Big Donut straining. She often walked home feeling annoyed.

But then one day she walked in on him in the break room, bent over an algebra II textbook with angry tears in his eyes. Her irritation for him abandoning her in the middle of the morning rush had vanished upon seeing that look of utter and complete helplessness on his face

"L-Lars, what's wrong?" Sadie had asked. She had tentatively took steps towards him. Her hand had raised to touch his shoulder, to give him a comforting pat or a reassuring squeeze, but she lets it drop back to her side.

"I'm gonna fuckin' fail!" he had whined dramatically after quickly dabbing at his eyes.

Sadie had blinked, and listened to his plight. Apparently Lars had been ditching the class, and his teacher had given him a makeup exam in an effort to raise his grade. Sadie isn't exactly a math whiz, but she gingerly offered her help. To her complete surprise, he accepted. So the two closed up shop early, and worked through the equations as best they could together. Sadie had made a few jokes in between it all, and Lars had softly chuckled. When they were done, he had meekly said his thanks. Sadie had been so shocked by it, all she could do was smile back at him.

After that day, things were a little better. He was still kind of lazy, and a bit of a grump. However, he didn't outright ignore her or brush her off when she tried to talk to him. In fact, there were days they would joke around a little and Sadie would feel light in her chest.

Today isn't one of those days.

Sadie takes a deep breath and exhales an annoyed sigh. Of course he's going to cross his arms as he grumbles complaints and something that sounded suspiciously like the b word when she asks him to clean up the vomit some over-stimulated child left by the shop's door. Of course he's going to stomp to the broom closet, and make a bunch of needless noise as he gathers the mop and bucket. Of course he's going to slosh the cleaning tools around melodramatically as he goes about cleaning it up. Of course he will, Sadie reminds herself, because Lars is just a kid.

Sure, Lars is only a year or so younger than her. But the maturity level between a high school student and a graduate is pretty vast.

That had to be it, right? Certainly it explains away most of his gruff behavior. He's a teenager.

Technically she is too until her next birthday, but still…

Sadie conjures up the image from a few weeks ago, of his crestfallen face and his glassy eyes. She thinks of how frightened he had sounded at the prospect of failing. She recalls how sweet he looked when he proudly puffed out his chest and showed her his passing grade on his exam. She had helped him, and his face alone had been worth it.

He's not that bad. He's just a kid.

And maybe she's just making excuses for him but...She keeps seeing that helpless look he had given her that day, and every fiber in her being wants to help him. Help him succeed. Help him be happy. Help him be better. Just help him in any way she can.

"Yuck! Ugh, danggit!" Lars suddenly yells. Sadie looks up just in time to see him drop the mop, letting it clatter to the floor. He walks hectically in circles, his large hands yanking on his shirt that now (somehow) had a splatter of pink chunks on it. "Ew! This is so gross, gross, gross!"

Sadie couldn't help but snicker when he gets tangled up in his shirts. Even as she abandons her place at the register to assist him, Sadie's laughing.

"Hold still," she tells him, but Lars keeps moving around frantically. He's clearly freaking out now, his muffled voice alternating from gagging to cursing. "Let me help you. Stay still!"

He doesn't listen, but Sadie still manages to help him out of his shirts without any vomit getting on either of them by some miracle. Lars takes big gulps of air, his hair messy and his tan skin flushed. Sadie shakes her head at him. Her eyes then drop to his heaving, bare chest.

Sadie's giggles die in her throat. She drops the ball of soiled fabric on the floor. Her cheeks burn red.

Oh. Wow.

Sadie closes her eyes and shakes her blonde head, but it's no use. He's still standing there like a vision when she opens them. His thin frame is rather...Um. Her dark eyes takes in his brown nipples, peaked from the cool air blasting in the store; the enticing jut of his pelvic bone, the coarse looking hairs that trails down from his belly button and disappears into low riding skinny jeans...

Their eyes meet when she forces her gaze to snap up, and they both blush deeper shades of red.

"What are you gawking at?" he yells, almost accusingly. His arms crosses over his chest defensively, his hands in his pits, as he shivers.

"N-nothing!" Sadie squeaks out. "Why don't you uh...Why don't you get the extra shirt that's in the break room, and I'll finish cleaning this up."

Still red in the face, Lars nods and storms off. Sadie goes about cleaning the rest of the mess on the floor. Sadie then bags his shirts, and tucks it into a corner behind the counter for him to take home to wash. She puts up the wet floor sign. She then dumps the dirty bucket water outside, and rises off the mop. Sadie puts it away, and goes to wash her hands. She does all this, and Lars has yet to come back. She doesn't go check up on him like she usually would. Sadie just stands behind the register, aimlessly scratching at invisible specks on the wooden counter.

She bites her lower lip, rampant thoughts assaulting her now that she no longer has a task distracting her. Sadie runs a hand through her hair. She snorts quietly at herself. Oh, man. Lars is...Lars is definitely not a child.

Pull yourself together, girl. It's not even that impressive of a chest.

"Sadieeee!" Steven cheers as he bounds through the chiming door.

"Oh." Sadie snaps up, forcing a smile on her face. "Hey, Steven."

"Where's Lars?"

"Oh, um...He's..."

"Right here," Lars grumbles as he finally returns from the back. The new shirt on his torso is way too big for his slender build, it sways around his knees and the collar is too wide. He adjusts the top so his shoulder isn't exposed, but it slips back down almost right away. "What do you want, Steven?"

Sadie frowns at his terse tone. But Steven just beams at Lars as he happily pulls out a few crumpled dollars.

"One creme filled doughnut, please!"

Lars goes to pick up the plastic tongs, but Sadie stops him by asking if he'd washed his hands. His slight pause at the question is enough of an answer for Sadie. She picks up the white tongs, and plucks a doughnut from behind the glass display case. Placing the pastry in a purple napkin, Sadie hands the treat over to Steven. The young boy happily bites into the doughnut, and hums in delight.

"So, how's it going?" Steven asks merrily, his starry gaze bouncing from Sadie to Lars and back. "You two having a good time?"

"Sure, Steven," Lars scoffs. "Working in the Big Donut is a grand ol' time."

"Oh, I bet!" Steven nods between bites. "I always see you guys smiling at each other, or eating lunch together. It's so nice! I wish I could work here with you guys. We'd have so much fun together!"

Lars rolls his eyes.

Sadie blushes, and shakes her head. No. Her and Lars were barely friends. If that. Sure, he can be sort of okay. Sometimes. And, well, she actually wouldn't mind if they were a little more chummy. But they just ...weren't .

* * *

Lars is such a jerk.

He had to have known it would be such a big turn out. The store's crowd is overwhelming for Sadie and makes her feel a little sweaty in the underarms. The constant chatter around her reminds her that she's here by herself, which shouldn't make her uneasy because she often is a party of one. But she's so short, it's kind of a struggle to not have people overlook her when she's alone. She had to poke and tap a few strangers that mistakenly cut in front of her. Sadie sighs. She tries to find a comfortable stance, and fails. The arch of her feet is killing her.

She takes out her phone to glance at the time, and pockets the device with an eye roll. How did she end up waiting in line for almost three hours?

Oh, you know why, she internally bemoans. Lars had went on and on about the game that's being released today. He had pouted when he realized he couldn't make it here. And he looked so happy when she agreed to pick it up for him. Her stomach flips when the image of his smile pops into her head.

"That'll be 70.95," the pimply clerk tells her. Sadie blinks, realizing she had been staring off into space for a second there. She smiles a bit apologetically at the young teen manning the register, and digs out the money Lars had given her. She counts out the wad of cash, only to discover it is twenty bucks and a dollar short. She frowns, and pulls out her little blue wallet purse.

When did games start costing so much anyway? She remembers when she was a kid, buying cartridge games for her handheld Gamepal and how the price tag was barely twenty bucks.

Either way, she pays it. She wiggles her way through the masses to leave the busy store, and heads straight to Lars's.

"Did you get it?" he asks the moment the front door swings open. She didn't even get a chance to knock. He was waiting for her. That thought makes her want to smile.

Sadie lifts up the plastic bag in her hand. Lars practically squeals. His hand takes hold of her tiny wrist, pulling her inside. The rooms of his house (his parents' house really), blur by as blotches of color as Lars practically drags her until they're in front of his bedroom. Sadie blinks, wobbling a step and threatening to fall from the sudden stop. She blushes when she looks up to see him smiling expectantly down at her. Oh, wow.

"Well, um," Sadie laughs unevenly as she fishes out the slim box case from the plastic bag, "here ya go."

"Oh, man!" Lars grins as he takes the box from her. He flips it over to glance at all the features listed on the back. "This is so freakin' cool. I've been waiting forever to play this."

He takes a few steps inside his room. Sadie shifts her weight from foot to foot in the doorway, uncertain what to do now.

"Glad I could help," she tells him with a shrug. She watches him power up his game system, inserting the shiny new disc into it. "Well, I guess I should get going."

"What?" Lars snaps his head up to look at her. "C'mon, Sades. The multiplayer is suppose to be amazing! Play it with me!"

"What? No," Sadie laughs and shakes her head, waving him off. "I've never played any of the franchise before, and it's a first person shooter."

"So? The story's not that complex."

"That's not the point," Sadie tells him. "I'm going to suck."

"So what?" Lars says with a shrug. "It'll be fun. Be my player two."

Those big eyes of his bore into her. His lips are stretched in a toothy grin. His large hand waves her over, and pats the space next to him as he sits on the edge of his bed. Sadie feels herself nodding, her feet moving forward like he's beckoning her with a siren's song.

"Okay, okay. But you can't rag on me for being bad."

"I won't," he promises. But he does it anyway. "Wow, Sades. I knew you would be bad. But not that bad."

"Oh, shut it."

She frowns at his cackling, and playfully bumps her shoulder into his arm. They laugh and joke as they play. Each round Sadie gets a better understanding of the controls and Lars would occasionally yell at her to press a certain button. Soon she didn't need his assistance at all.

"Dang, Player Two. What a come back."

Sadie smiles under the praise.

Lars gathers up some snacks. A bowl of Chaaaps to share, a little box of oyster crackers just for her (the thoughtfulness he shows makes her heart skip a beat), and some wine coolers he had hidden away under his bed. The little spread made Sadie's lips curve up even more.

"You really shouldn't be drinking this stuff, ya know," she tells him while he struggles to pop off the top of his wine cooler. He makes a dismissive sound between his grunts of effort. She rolls her eyes. Her disapproval doesn't stop her from taking the glass bottle away from him, tucking the top under her shirt, and twisting at the red bottle cap until it snaps free. He gives her an impressed look as she hands it to him. She opens another one for herself. Knowing she shouldn't be drinking this either, she smirks a bit wickedly as she sips the lukewarm liquid. It's sweet on her tongue, but burns it's way down her throat to settle in her belly.

They play a few more rounds as they eat and drink.

She asks him how his senior year is going, and he shrugs. She gently asks if he's actually attending his classes, and he rolled his eyes and nodded. He then softly admits that he doesn't really have many friends, and classes were kicking his ass. "But school is suppose to suck like this right?" he questions between a rather big gulp of his light liquor. "I mean, on tv it's all big friend groups having wild parties with red Solo cups. So like, the reality has to be the complete opposite, right?"

Sadie wants to shakes her head, but her school days had been pretty quiet and lonely too. She didn't have many people that she hanged out with back then, or now even. She wants to tell him it should be somewhere more in the middle. Instead she just shrugs.

He then starts rattling on about the Cool Kids. Sadie's seen Buck, Sour Cream, and Jenny around Beach City. They've come by the doughnut shop a few times too, and Lars never failed to do or say something embarrassing around them. She didn't really know the trio, but they couldn't possibly be as intimidating as Lars is making them out to be. But she finds the awe in his voice as he talks about them to be rather...cute.

They somehow start talking about wrestling, and how they should definitely go see Puma fight next weekend.

They talk about how Sadie felt like her mom was kind of overbearing. Always well meaning and caring, but still, sometimes her mom was just too much. Lars clicks his tongue, and mumbles about how his own oh-so-well-meaning parents just seem to walk on eggshells around him ever since he got prescribed anti-depressants.

They talk about food, getting into a heated debate over the legitimacy of pineapples belonging on pizzas, before moving on to what their favorite sweets were. Lars opens his mouth as if he was gonna say something, but he holds back. Instead he starts listing off the best flavors the Big Donut has to offer. Sadie agrees with all his choices, but adds a few of her own.

They talk about anything and everything, their controllers forgotten, their empty bottles piling up. It's...nice. Sadie feels warm all over as she snorts between peals of laughter at something Lars said. He laughs along with her, and they fall back on his mattress as their giggles keep going. Pure mirth shakes her shoulders, and jiggles her belly. Soon they're laughing because they simply can't stop. Their chuckles blend together and echoes off the poster covered walls.

When it finally dies down, her cheeks are hurting from smiling so hard and there's a slight ache in her lower abdomen. She glances over at Lars, his dark eyes shine with carefree joy as he smiles at her. They're laying next to each other, but there's a decent enough space between them. Their hands, however, are only a hairsbreadth apart. His fingers flex, causing his pinkie to brush hers. Sadie silently gasps at the little bolt that shoots through her from that light contact. Lars watches her face redden, and he drops her gaze. His pinkie tentatively brushes her again, this time on purpose. When she doesn't flinch away, it wraps gently around hers. Sadie smiles again and catches his eye. He shyly grins back.

She can't remember the last time she ever felt this close to someone.

And it's with Lars, of all people! She honestly hadn't been sure if he even liked her before, and now…

Sadie sighs, eyelids drooping, content to just lay here. But after a few minutes, Lars's hand twitches. His long fingers weave with her smaller ones. His hand is warm and kind of soft. She squeezes it, and he squeezes right back. Sadie closes her eyes. Her heart beats in double time, the heat of their joined hands spreading up her arm, through her system, and tingling her sock covered toes.

"Thanks, by the way," he suddenly whispers. "For uh getting the game for me, and all that."

Sadie nods lazily, a smile plastered on her face. She lets out another happy sigh. In days to come, whenever he did something that got under her skin, it'll be this blissful moment that'll pop into her head. He's not so bad. Not bad at all.

And then there's a light pressure on her lips.

Her eyes flutter open in surprise, just in time to see Lars retreat. Their eyes lock, and something warm seems to explode in her chest. She thinks it's her heart, cause she can feel it quiver with aftershocks as it thumps wildly. His free hand scratches at his chin in an attempt to look casual. But Lars's teeth nervously worries his bottom lip. His lips. They were kind of thin, but they were warm and had felt pleasantly pliant against her own.

"Lars?"

"Y-yeah, Player Two?"

His hushed voice cracks. Her face warms even more. Is that her nickname now? Player Two? She kinda likes it.

Sadie's thumb rubs soothing circles over his knuckle before she turns fully onto her side. He does the same, but waits for her to bridge the gap between them. She does, and he instantly responds.

It's tender and calm. They languidly suck on each other's lips. He tastes both salty and sweet, which almost makes her laugh. Instead she pulls him closer. Her tongue leisurely maps out his mouth, flicking over his and making him moan into the kiss.

His hands grasps at her ample behind, his teeth nipping her upper lip, before his fingers slink under her shirt. She feels him shudder when he touches her bare skin. She sucks in her gut when his fingertips glide around to her front. If he notices, he doesn't remark on it. He just keeps kissing her, his hand creeping higher and higher until he's palming her breast over her sports bra.

He mutters, something about her being soft, against her lips. A tiny thrill shoots down her spine.

Lars nibbles on her bottom lip, and Sadie hears herself gasp. Lars seem to chuckle proudly at her reaction. He plants warm kiss after kiss on her forehead, on her cheek, her jaw, and down her neck. Heat pools between her thighs. He then licks his way back up the curve of her throat. Sadie gasps again, but it comes out sounding like a shallow moan. Lars smiles into his kisses.

Hands still fondling her breast, he thumbs her nipples through her bra until he can feel them pucker. He pinches the little pert buds, and he swallows Sadie's hushed moan by slanting his lips back over hers. This time the kiss is more frenzied, their tongues sloppily lapping at each other. Lars groans and pushes at her until she's on her back with him between her legs.

His pelvis bucks into her, and Sadie's hips thrusts back on pure impulse. Sparks fly. Lars curses into the kiss. He grinds almost desperately into her, the hard bulge in his jeans delivering a delightful friction with each jerk of his hips. She feels her core pulse with want. He pinches her nipples again, much harder than before, tugging them excitedly.

Sadie hisses, but not in pleasure.

"Shit, sorry." Lars quickly whispers, his face contorting into a grimace when Sadie jolts back. "Sorry."

"It's um. It's okay," Sadie rushes to assure. Her own hands, which have been fisting the bedspread for the most part, now shakily slide into his graphic tee. She caresses soothing circles onto the warm canvas of his back. She smiles at him. He's so thin. She can feel the bumps of his spine. She kisses his chin. Then his lips, again and again, until she coaxes him into another heady makeout session.

His groping hands moves away from her breasts, however. He squeezes at her cushy thighs and wide hips instead, as he steadily starts rocking against her again.

When his clumsy fingers start fidgeting with the fastening on her jeans, she kisses him harder. She lets him tug down her pants and underwear to her knees, and she kicks them off the rest of the way. Lars fishes out a small foil packet from his back pocket. He rushes to unzip his own jeans, only pushing them down enough to free himself. He rips the packet open with his teeth, and rolls the condom on in seconds. It all happens so fast she doesn't get more than a glimpse of him before Lars settles fully between her legs again.

She's never done this before. She feels like she should say something. But his lips feels so good on her neck, and his palms sliding over her bare thighs make her skin tingle. She couldn't string two words together now if she tried. And then there's a slight pressure at her entrance, and Sadie gasps when he eases his way inside.

"Fuck," Lars hisses in her ear. "You're so fuckin' tight, Sades."

She has no response to that other than to blush. Her whole body feels on fire. The feel of him, firm and thick, inside her is so… Wow.

Her breathing becomes erratic.

When he starts to move, her body trembles beneath him. Her short legs lock around his slim waist. Their shirts drag uncomfortably against each other, sliding up and down their torsos. Whenever the bare flesh of their stomachs grazed, so warm and soft and intimate, Sadie quivers all the more.

Moisture breaks out across Lars's brow. Sadie rolls her hips to meet his unmeasured thrusts as best she can. He grunts through gritted teeth, his face still hidden in the space between her neck and shoulder.

Sadie once again feels sweaty in her underarms. Her purple and blue ankle socks seem to insulate her body heat, and Sadie suddenly becomes aware of the fact that her feet can perspire. This isn't exactly sexy, and she might have started to worry that Lars would notice and be grossed out but...But nothing but pleasure registers when he bumps into a spot inside her that has Sadie forgetting her own name. Her nails dig into his skin when he hits it again. Wow wow wow.

Her walls pulse around him. His strokes become even more jerky, and he grunts an array of swears into her neck. The rough texture of his jeans rubs her tender flesh raw. His breathing goes ragged. His body stiffens. A garbled sound that might have been her name is whimpered hotly on her skin. And then it was over.

Sadie blinks up at the ceiling, catching her breath as Lars grunts and pulls out of her.

It...It hadn't been mind blowing or anything. Certainly not the toe curling experience she sometimes read about. But it had felt nice. It felt nice being close to him. And when he returns from disposing the condom, his pants pulled back up but still unzipped, he curls up beside her. She snuggles into him, and Sadie relishes in just being swaddled in his arms in the afterglow.

An alarm starts beeping. Lars grumbles in her ear, his hot breath tickling her skin. Sadie opens her eyes in a mild daze. The face of the blaring clock says it's five thirty in the morning.

She had fallen asleep.

The arm resting on her midsection lifts to shut off the alarm clock, and she smiles when his arm returns. Her grin widens when he pulls her closer. She cranes her neck to look at him.

"Morning, P-Two," he greets her with a lazy, crooked grin. Sadie grins back, her insides fluttering.

"Morning."

They crawl out of bed after a few minutes, and Sadie blushes as she tries to step into her panties and jeans as quickly as possible. Lars laughs, mumbling about how he already had seen her butt.

They take turns washing up in his in-suite bathroom. She exits out his window, not really wanting to risk running into his parents. Lars follows behind her, already dressed for work, as he silently walks her home so she can change into her uniform.

The two then head toward work. Sadie's knuckles brushes his as they walk in unison. His hand takes hold of hers, dwarfing it as he squeezes it with his long fingers. Sadie leans her head to rest slightly on his arm. This is so nice. She can barely believe it. Her and Lars...Together.

"Hey, Lars!" someone cheers, piercing through the peaceful silence of the early morning.

Sadie's barely able to register the chipper voice before Lars's hand yanks out of her hold. Sadie's smile falls away, and she turns towards where the shout had came from. It's Jenny Pizza, lagging behind her sister Kiki, on a morning run. From across the street, the cute slender yet curvy girl waves at Lars, and Lars looks ecstatic as he frantically waves back.

"H-hi, Jenny! Hey! What's...What's crack-a-lackin'?" he hollers excitedly, but winces a bit at the words that fumble unthinkingly out of his mouth.

"Whaaat?" Jenny calls back, still jogging in the opposite direction.

"I said," he starts to yell but Jenny turns away from him and speeds up her pace to catch up with her twin. Brown hand raised in the air, her fingers wiggle goodbye.

"I'll see ya later, Lars," she shouts before calling after her sister to wait up.

"Y-yeah! Cool! See ya later!"

Sadie blinks, brows furrowing at the exchange. She reaches to take his hand again, but Lars flinches at her touch. His eyes dart around them, like he's worried someone might have seen them. Sadie frowns, but doesn't say anything when he tucks his hands into his pockets.

They finish the trek to the store in stiff silence, a little more space between them.

But Lars makes a few wisecracks while he sets up the paper cups into neat stacks. Sadie laughs weakly at him as she makes a fresh mug of coffee. They fill in the gaps in the display case. They get through the morning rush without any major incident. The work day goes on like any other, which is...weird, right?

It doesn't feel weird, exactly. But it definitely didn't feel right. There is no secret glances, or playful love taps, or sneaky kisses sprinkled in throughout the day like she halfway expected (or maybe hoped is the better word).

Near closing time, she wipes down the counter and she glances at Lars. He's standing beside her, leaning on the closed glass case as he plays Cookie Blitz Saga.

"So, last night..." she gently prompts with an ease she did not feel. Lars looks up from his phone to smile at her. Her cheeks instantly flame.

"Yeah?"

"Do you...um..."

"Wanna repeat performance, eh?" he snickers. His tone makes her face heat up for a different reason. He seems to notice her irritation, dropping her gaze. His smug grin wanes. He straightens up, and scratches at his chin before inhaling deep. "Last night was fun. It's cool having someone to chill with."

Sadie nods in agreement, head slightly bowed. The game night had been fun, even before things escalated. But her brows knit together as she watches him bite his lower lip. His eyes rake over her, and his smile turns suggestive. Wait.

"Wanna chill again sometime?" he asks, tone colored with innuendo.

Was he...Was really writing off them having sex as something so casual it could be deemed as chilling?

She snorts, and shakes her head. Sadie opens her mouth, but the bell above the door chimes.

A pretty girl, all long legs and red lips, waltzes in. Lars openly shows interest in her, heavily flirting with the girl as he bags up a few doughnuts for her. The girl giggled airily when he asks for her number. Though she declines, she does smile sweetly at him. It seemed to be enough of a victory for Lars, grinning like an idiot as customer singsongs her farewell.

Sadie's heart drops.

He glances Sadie's way, brow quirked before they both swiftly avert their gazes from one another. Oh. Wow. Tears prick at her eyes, and Sadie forces herself to swallow the thick lump that has formed in her throat. She sighs through her nose, and shakes her head.

He's a jerk. She knows he's a jerk. But...He had laughed so freely last night. He hand touched her so tenderly. He had looked at her so yearningly. He had kissed her so passionately. He had...They had...She was so certain that he had wanted...that they were going to be…

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

She hurries through the motions of shutting down the shop. She doesn't look at her co-worker as she puts on her jacket, and leaves without a word.

Lars doesn't follow.

* * *

She's such a jerk.

Sadie stares at her bedroom ceiling. The house is quiet. Truly quiet, with no white noise of the ocean lapping at the shore or bugs chirping from bushes. Her bandaged arm lays across her stomach. Her bed is so soft beneath her. After days of sleeping on the ground, it's a wonder that she hadn't instantly zonked out the moment her head hit the pillow. But those nights resting on the hard island ground were also spent snuggled up against a slender frame, an arm wrapped over her waist. She shivers at his phantom touch on her hip, and frowns.

None of it was real.

She had only been trying to help him. He had been so stressed recently. The memory of his smile had become foggy in her brain, it'd been so long since she'd seen it. It hadn't been her intention for things to turn out the way they did. How could she have ever predicted that he would...That they would...

Her lips tingle as she remembers the feel of his, warm and slightly salty from tears, press onto hers. The forefinger of her undamaged hand traces over her bottom lip in mild awe. His tongue had swept over it so frantically before it delved into her mouth. It had been so different from the kisses they shared during Game Night all that time ago. This kiss had been pure, heart thumping desperation. But, just like their first kiss, her stomach had erupted with butterflies that spread a tingly warmth throughout her system. Now, however, Sadie's stomach churns. She can hear Lars's angry and disgusted voice echo in her head. She sighs and shakes her head at herself.

She's so tired. Her body aches. She tries to sleep it off, but she still feels like shit when she wakes up.

"I'm sorry," she softly tells him the next time she walks into the Big Donut to open shop. "I shouldn't have kept the warp pad a secret. I wasn't trying to..." She trails off, and shakes her head. "I was just trying to help. But good intentions, and all that. So, I'm sorry."

Lars gawks at her. His sour frown and the crease between his brows had disappeared the second she spewed out an apology. He actually looks shocked that she gave one. His hands tuck into his front pockets, and he shrugs and glances to the dusty floor that they'll definitely need to mop before too long.

"Whatever," he mumbles and walks away.

Sadie sighs. She had kind of hoped that he would apologize too. Or, at the very least, he would accept hers a little more gracefully. But she knows better. This is as good as it'll get for now. Eventually things will settle. They'll go see wrestling matches on Saturday nights. They'll watch lame B rated horror movies in her room on off days. She'll snicker at his wisecracks, and he'll roll his eyes at her puns. And may she'll take his word on it, and stop trying to constantly help him.

But she still wants to. She really, really do.

* * *

"Maybe I should focus on fixing my own life," she had said.

Lars, bless him, wasn't a jerk. He was a coward. She's not certain if that's worse or not. However, upon this realization came another.

Sadie can't help him.

No matter how much she tries, or how much she wants to, she can't help him. There's nothing she could do that'll make him walk into a party with a cake he created with his head held high. There's nothing she could say that'll make him stand up and fight, instead of flee. There's not a single thing in her power that'll make him brave enough to hold her hand in public...if she even still wants that. She's not really sure. It feels like an eternity ago when she last let her thoughts float into that direction about Lars.

It doesn't matter, she realizes. She can't help him, and it's probably a good thing that she knows that now. She needs to focus on helping herself. She's been ignoring her own problems for too long.

However, she's too distracted to start on that just yet.

She'd been worried sick the past few days, especially when Steven returned without him. Any residual anger or disappointment about Lars ditching her to hide on that spaceship had been eclipsed by gut wrenching fear.

Where is he? Is he safe? Will he ever make it back to Beach City?

Despite everything, he was her closest friend. She just wants him to be okay. So when she spots Lars standing outside her house as she walks home from work, Sadie finds herself running full force into his arms.

"Umph!"

They topple over in an embrace. Lars stiffens, moreover in surprise, beneath her. Sadie laughs into his chest, but it comes out as little sobs. Her eyes are watering as she hugs him tight. He laughs a bit weakly too, long arms encircling her with just as much strength and affection.

"I didn't think you'd be this happy to see me," he chuckles unevenly into her hair.

"Helpless jerk," Sadie mutters. "I was so worried about you."

She hears him sniffle, and he tightens his hold on her. Sadie finally lifts her head to see the tears in his eyes. Sadie blinks. She rubs away her own tears that's slightly blurring vision. She blinks a few more times as the sun begins to set, golden light highlighting his features. Oh. Wow.

"You're pink," she gasps, dumbstruck.

He blinks back at her, and his pink skin burns crimson.

"Y-yeah," is his nervous reply. "You can blame Steven for that."

"It looks good on you," she finds herself saying as she pinches his cheek in disbelief. "Like, weirdly good."

"Thanks?" he chuckles wanely.

His hair looks like cotton candy, but it feels the same as the last time she touched it. He winces when her finger curls into his tresses, and look of confusion and then relief twisting his face. She tilts her head at that, but she gets distracted by the red line on his face. Her finger gently traces the new scar that starts above his left eye. He sighs into her touch, closing his eyes so her finger can glide down the lid to the top of his cheek where the scar ends. His eyes flutter back open. His hands runs up and down her sides, causing her to shiver. It's only then, as streetlights start to flicker to life, that it dawns on Sadie that she's lying on top of him in the middle of her lawn.

She scrambles to her feet, and helps him up. When he's standing at his full height, he doesn't let go of her hand. Even when people walk down the street, his hand stays in hers. In fact, his grip strengthens. Her cheeks are just as pink as him.

"You uh wanna come in?" she asks, tilting her head towards her front door. "You can tell me about whatever had happened. Or we can just binge some of the shows you missed, if you'd rather do that instead?"

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I'd liked that." He nods. "There's um. There's a lot I want to talk about actually."

She nods, and they walk into her home. But the moment the front door shuts, he stills. Sadie's steps are halted by his hold on her hand. She turns to look at him, but he's staring at the floor.

"Sadie, I..." He sighs. Lars squares his shoulders, and his eyes snap to hers. "I'm sorry about -"

"Hey, it's fine," Sadie cuts him off. "Things were pretty intense on that spaceship. It's called fight or flight for a reason, ya know. Plus it's not like you had a weapon or something to be of any real help. I shouldn't have just expected you to dive into a fight for me. And I know you were scared. And-"

"No, Sadie," Lars interrupts her slew of excuses with a firm shake of his head. His dark eyes stare intently into hers, and her stomach flips. He's...different. She can see it, and she doesn't mean the obvious physical change. "That's not good enough. I've never been good enough."

"Lars," she sighs in contradiction at his words, but Lars cuts her off again by squeezing her fingers.

"No, Sades. I've been thinking about this a lot while I was gone. And, ya know, I really hated myself. I was such a coward. I was also a jerk, to a lot of other people, but no one more than you. You didn't deserve that. So, I'm sorry. Not just for what happened when we got abducted, but for everything. Everything. I've...I've been a pretty shitty friend...person...whatever."

Sadie stares up at Lars in mild astonishment. Her mouth forms a small 'o'. Tears wet her lashes. She hadn't...She hadn't been expecting this.

Maybe this is some kind of a dream. Maybe this is actually another evil Gem that's just pretending to be Lars. They can shapeshift, right? And he is randomly pink now. That theory could check out.

But those big brown eyes boring into her? Those were definitely the eyes that once looked at her helplessly, looked at her lustfully, looked at her with so many emotions she could identify his mood from just the glint of his iris. Hot tears trickle down her red cheeks, and drips from her chin.

"Oh, wow. Lars..."

"Sadie," he sighs, still looking directly into her eyes. He lifts his free hand to cup her jaw, his thumb sweeping away the damp trail on her round cheek. "I um..."

His lips slant over hers in a warm, chaste kiss. It makes more tears leak from her eyes, but her quivering lips are smiling.

"I mean it," he whispers, pecking her lips again for emphasis. "I always meant it. I know I didn't always show it, but I...I lo- ...lo-" He flushes, kissing her again before clearing his throat. "I mean it. Just know I mean it, okay?"

He presses another kiss onto her mouth, just as tender and sweet as the last one. But it lasts a little longer, and he ardently pulls her back into an embrace.

"Sorry," he says when they break apart, though she isn't completely sure why. He rests his forehead atop hers, and she wonders how long he can stay like this before his neck and back starts to hurt. He's so much taller than her...He surrounds her. Sadie can feel herself slipping into a familiar bliss just from being here in his arms. She sighs at herself.

"I don't know if I can," she softly confesses. She feels him go rigid, but he tightens his hold on her. "I want to, but...I'm just not sure if I can believe you after...well, everything."

She kind of hates that she said it aloud, that she's ruining the moment. But there had been other times where she felt like they were moving forward, and she never wants to experience that soul crushing torment ever again.

He pulls back just enough to catch her gaze once more. Those eyes. She sees that change within him once more. Sadie's dying to know what had happened to him out there, what caused this shift to happen. But right now the whites of his eyes are red, and she can tell he's struggling to keep his smile from faltering. She sighs into another kiss, letting him hold her snug against him.

"Well," he chuckles somewhat weakly over her lips. "I'll help you believe."


	2. Lars

Sadie's so annoying.

This constant babying has to stop!

Lars is fully aware that the Big Donut shirt he's wearing is too big for him. He knows because he constantly has to stop what he's doing to tug on the wide collar so his shoulder isn't exposed. He knows he's drowning in the fabric, and it makes him look embarrassingly scrawny. But seriously, who owned this thing before him? An elephant man?

Lars also knows that he should have washed his actual uniform last night, but he just couldn't find the energy to touch the vomit stained clothes when he got home last night. He couldn't find the energy to do much of anything really, beyond lay down on his bed and stare at a wall. Though that's a different problem altogether.

So he came in today wearing the way too large shirt again, only for Sadie to snort and ask what happened to his other uniforms.

Lars blushes. He grumbles that it isn't any of her business. And it's not. She doesn't need to know that his laundry has piled up so high in the corner of his room, the thought of doing the task now seems daunting. Sadie sighs, and rolls her eyes.

"Whatever, Lars."

But he feels her eyes on him when he cleans the soda dispensers one handed while the other holds up his sleeve, when he slouches on the wooden counter and the collar dips below his clavicle, and when he re-stacks the coffee cups out of boredom after tugging the hem to straighten the twisted shirt. If he didn't know better he'd think she had a little crush on him. He chuckles to himself at the thought. _As if!_ But when he walks into the breakroom, Sadie yanks him to her, sternly holding him in place by the hand like he's a toddler. The girl ignores his protests while she knots up the purple cloth on his torso. She then tucks the oversized work shirt into his jeans like she's his mother, spinning him around with a power someone so diminutive should not possess. A shrill squeak eeks out of him when her small hand accidentally brushes his bare bum. His face burns red at how close she had gotten to almost touching his junk.

"Are you nuts?" Lars starts to explode when her hand dips into his pants one last time. "You can't just..."

"There!" Sadie proclaims with a victorious grin, hands now on her hips in a power pose. "Isn't that better?"

He blinks at her, sputtering.

Technically, _yes_. The shirt, while still loose on him, does fit better. At least enough that the collar isn't drooping to the side. Still, Lars lets out a frustrated groan. She had no right to grab him like that. And ever since they sorta kinda bonded while working through mind numbing math equations, she's always looking at him like he's feeble. Talking to him like he can't figure things out on his own. His insides burn. She's only like a tiny bit older than him!

"God, Sadie. I'm not a child!"

She flinches back. Her cheeks turn pink as her proud grin slips away.

"I...I know that," his coworker says with a small shrug, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I was just trying to help."

Lars lets out a long sigh.

"Well, maybe ask before you help me next time?" Lars tells her, mentally telling himself that he's definitely doing his laundry tonight.

Sadie nods apologetically, seeming to realize that she had overstepped. He shrugs off the tension in the room, taking a seat at the break table.

Lars opens his lunchbox as his foot kicks out the other chair. Sadie smiles a small grin, filling the offered seat. The bag lunch Sadie's mom had made her is a lot more nutritional than the two bags of chips and the sugary energy drink Lars packed for himself. As Sadie cuts her sandwich in two to give him half, Lars snorts.

"If ya wanted to cop a feel, there's less traumatizing ways to go about it, ya know."

Sadie pulls back her hand before Lars could take the sandwich, a frown on her flushed face.

"A-as if, you jerk!" she stutters, laughing kind of weirdly. "Just for that, you're not getting any ham and cheese."

"What?" he chuckles, hand clutching invisible pearls. "You'd let me starve like that?"

"Yep," she boldly declares with a smirk, her laughter evening out to something more natural sounding.

Sadie leans back when he tries to snatch it, giggling as she lifts it above her head. He could easily reach it, but allows her to squirm around in her seat as he makes fake swipes at her hand. They both laugh as she shrieks, almost falling out of her seat in one particularly sharp evasive move. Lars grabs her teetering chair, stills it and yanks it closer. Yanks _her_ closer.

Their noses bump. They blink at one another. Her cheeks get all rosy. He feels her breath on his chin. Lars quickly shifts away after he picks up the unguarded half she left on the table. She blinks and finds her balance. Lars chomps into the sandwich with a smug grin.

Sadie frowns, looking down at her half that's now squished and slightly broken from her manhandling. He makes a show out of eating his half, smacking his lips and moaning about how delicious it is. Sadie watches him with a small smile. She then shrugs, eating her ugly triangle of bread and meat without complaint.

The rest of the work day goes by nice enough.

He finishes up shutting down the register, locking the cash away in the tiny safe. He turns off the shop's florescent lights before he heads to the back to find Sadie so they can walk home together. He's not really certain when walking home became a _thing_ that they did, but it made sense. They were headed in the same direction anyway.

"Can we go now?" Lars calls out as he barges into the breakroom.

His feet stall. Sadie looks up at him, fingers in the midst of zipping up a small backpack. Lars stares at her for a moment, confusion knitting his brows.

"You're...wearing a dress."

Sadie blinks before looking down at herself. The sky blue skater dress is nothing fancy. Paired with matching flats with tight little bows on them, the look is more over cute than sexy. But it's the first time Lars has seen her in anything that wasn't a shirt and jeans.

He can actually distinguish the curves of her plump body. Her hefty bosom is slightly pushed up, an inch of cleavage visible. Her hips flare out nicely. And her short legs are all creamy skin and thick calves. Oddly enough, though, it's her knees that garners most of Lars's attention. They're dimpled and round, much like her cheeks when she smiles. His fingers twitch with an irrational want to pinch them pink, and palm away the sting.

Sadie looks back up at him. The slight movement of her blonde head catches his eye, and snaps him out of his daze. Their eyes connect. Lars frowns as his stomach flips. He turns his head away.

"Uh, yeah? I wear dresses sometimes, Lars," she says incredulously with a small snort of laughter.

His frown deepens, and his cheeks redden. With a scoff, Lars unhooks both their coats from the rack.

"What, you got a hot date tonight or something?" he teases somewhat mockingly.

She rolls her eyes as he hands her her coat.

"And what if I do?" she asks.

Lars shrugs. He roughly slips on his own jacket, brows furrowing. But what does he care? She can go annoy someone else for awhile.

"Do you?" he finds himself asking anyway, voice filled with challenge.

She lowers her gaze as she tugs up her zipper, hiding away behind that frumpy green coat of hers.

"No," Sadie softly admits with a shrug. "Sometimes I just like to...I dunno. Jazz it up a bit? Walk the boardwalk. Smell the sea salt in the air, and look at the moon's reflection on the ocean..."

She trails off, her face blushing as she seems to realize how silly she sounds. She busies herself with slinging on her little backpack, the bag fat and lumpy with her work clothes stuffed inside it.

"Then what?" he gently prompts.

"Oh. Uh, nothing really," she chuckles weakly. They walk to the door, and she flicks the lights off on their way out. "I just walk. Let my mind go blank for a moment. Pretend I might catch someone's eye, and wonder what they'll say when they strike up a conversation with me."

"So you're dressing up for your imaginary boyfriend?" Lars cuts in with a snort. "That's so lame."

Sadie shoves the key into the door, twists it roughly til there's a soft click, and yanks it out.

"Whatever, Lars," she mutters, and pockets the keys. She walks away in a huff, but Lars's long legs easily keeps time with her.

"Seriously," Lars says in faux concern, laughter bleeding through. "That whole scenario sounds like a cry for help."

Her little hands ball up into fists. She tries to walk faster, but her legs can't move faster than him without full-on sprinting. It makes him grin. She's so tiny. It's hilarious. But then he sees the way her lips pinched together, her eyes blinking a bit too rapidly to _not_ be fighting tears. Shit.

He tucks his hands away into his pockets, staring down at his feet alternate with each step. He glances at her again, and his mouth opens before he even knows what he's going to say.

"So, I guess I'll help you or whatever."

"What?"

"I'll walk with you," he declares without much thought. "Look at moon water, and sniff the air, and all that other shit."

Her elbow playfully nudges him for cursing. It kind of hurts, but at least she doesn't look like she's going to cry anymore.

"So, what? We're going to be mysterious losers strolling down the boardwalk," Lars tries to clarify. "Less lame if it's both of us, I guess. Should I pull up the sax solo from _Careless Whisper_ to play in the background?"

He pulls out his phone as if he's going to actually do it. Sadie snorts when she giggles, shaking her head at him. Lars silently chuckles, and puts his phone back up. He's glad she didn't call his bluff. There's no way he'd actually do something so embarrassing in public on purpose.

They walk in companionable silence for a minute or two. Her steps slow, however, when they walk by the streetlamp where they usually went their separate ways.

"Wait." Sadie stops mid step, spinning to face him. "Are you _actually_ going with me?"

Lars's feet still. He stares at her for a second before averting his gaze. Did she...Did she not _want_ him to come? He scoffs, and crosses his arms.

"Well if you want to be a dork all by yourself, that's fine by me."

Instead of being turned off by his affronted tone, Sadie giggles with...excitement?

"Oh. Wow. Okay. I thought you were just joking," she titters. "It's actually pretty peaceful. It'll be good for you."

Her smile is so big now. Lars has to physically shake off the weird fluttering sensation swirling in his gut.

"Yeah, yeah," Lars mutters dismissively. "But if a hot chick actually comes up to me, I'm totally bailing on you."

She tilts her head, an unamused smile curving her lips. She looks up at him through her lashes, her brow raised as if to say ' _really?'_. Blonde curls fall to the side, sweeping over her forehead and dangling over the collar of her ugly pea green coat.

His stomach swoops. Fucking _swoops_ , like he's on coaster in Fun Land. The hell is happening to him? He glares at the ground, stomping forward and listening to the soft pitter-patter of her feet hitting the pavement as she struggles to keep up.

He smirks, slowing his pace until they're walking in tandem.

* * *

Ronaldo is so annoying. Not to mention beyond nuts. And so is Sadie for going to Ronaldo's weirdo monster movie night! And Steven's annoying too, because...because...Because he just is!

Lars paces backs and forth in his room, adrenalin still pumping, as he pushes the gauges out his ears. The more he thinks about his crazy night, the more annoyed he feels. Ronaldo had basically tried to kill him. And did anyone focus on that? No. Yet somehow, _Lars_ is the jerk. He rolls his eyes, placing his jewelry atop his dresser.

His gaze drops to the unopened bottle of prescription pills, sneering at the thought that _he's_ taking behavioral meds but Ronaldo isn't.

"Probably not a drug strong enough to fix that pile of loony," he grumbles to himself.

Lars starts stripping away his clothing until he's stark naked. He flips over the top cover and flops on the mattress, bundling himself up in the sheets with every intent to fall asleep. But then he thinks of Sadie, and how he tried to help them both out of a bad situation by suggesting they ditch Ronaldo and Steven. And then she got mad, her button nose scrunching up.

Lars frowns thinking about how darn chummy she was with Ronaldo.

Sadie's constant concern and outpour of care for Lars's wellbeing is obnoxious. He hates the way it warms his cheeks and flips his guts. It's beyond embarrassing. He didn't need her help. Usually. But seeing his friend give her attention to someone else was…

Lars sighs.

He tries to push down the emotions bubbling within his chest, wanting to shove them so far down they're nonexistent. It doesn't quite work. So he groans, rolling on his stomach to bury his face in his pillow.

Things had only recently started to really feel normal again between him and Sadie. That whole island adventure left him feeling all types of angry and confused. What gave her the right to insert herself to take away his agency? And all those days, fearing he'd never see his parents again and that he'd die out in the wilderness, was for what? So Sadie could skeeze on him? Help him with something an actual psychiatrists couldn't so she could feel validated? He felt tricked. Used. But then she apologized, and he quickly realized Sadie wasn't capable of being _that_ insidious. And what would be the point if she had been?

If she wanted to kiss him, Lars is certain she knows he'd let her...as long as they weren't in public. He had pretty much offered her all the wondrous benefits that could come with friendship. But her face got all red and she shook her head at him.

The disappointment in her eyes wasn't completely lost on him, and his heart wobbles achingly in his chest whenever he thinks about it.

 _Chilling_ isn't what she had wanted. But it was all he was brave enough to offer.

His guts churn unpleasantly with self-hate. The mattress creaks when he curls up on his side, his long arms hugging him.

Lars lets his mind drift back to their infamous game night. The ease of conversation. The uninhibited laughter. Her lips sweet on his tongue. Her body soft beneath him.

He had been too afraid to take his time. Didn't even take a chance to so much as undress lest she come to her senses and push his grubby hands away. Yet, throughout it all, she had embraced him and matched him stroke for stroke. It was mind blowing. It was also very rushed, and his face gets hot whenever he dwells on just how quickly it had ended. He had wanted it so badly. Wanted her. Still does. But… Well…

What would people think?

He knows it's a shitty defense, a shitty way of thinking, but the truth is that people would laugh at them. How could they not? Loser Lars and Donut Girl? Holding hands as they walk to work together? Kissing over consoles as they take turns topping each others scores in Funland Arcade? Snuggling in a booth as they split a pizza? It would all invoke mocking laughter from everyone in Beach City. It's embarrassing. Just thinking about it gave him anxiety. He couldn't handle it, no matter how nice it sounded.

Ronaldo - _Ronnie_ \- had once said Lars cared too much what people thought. But how could Lars _not_ care? Ronaldo didn't care _enough_ , as far as Lars was concerned. The big goof bumbled around town like an idiot with an awkwardly giant microphone and a dorky camera, making stupid supernatural documentaries without a thought towards how others perceived him.

Ronaldo wouldn't have any qualms about going out with Sadie.

Lars frowns, and gags. _Disgusting_. His guts twists again as images of the two invaded his thoughts. Ronaldo slobbering all over her mouth. Ronaldo's sausage fingers undoing her jeans. Ronaldo sweating heavily on top of her. And Sadie, soft and pretty as can be, actually laying there and _enjoying_ it… A little bit of bile rises up, burning Lars's throat and leaving a nasty taste in his mouth. He hacks and coughs, rubbing his face wishing he douse his brain with bleach.

Sadie could do _way_ better than Ronaldo.

She could also do a lot better than Lars…

Lars groans into his pillow, the pitiful sound painful and filled with ire. His cell phone buzzes then, and he glances over at it on his nightstand to see its a text from Sadie, asking if he's gotten home okay. He sighs and turns his back to his phone.

He doesn't want to think about Sadie anymore. He forces his mind to go blank so he can fall asleep.

But a few months later he finds himself once again lying in bed with Sadie on the brain.

Steven had spent the day gallivanting around in Lars's body. The ick factor of that alone is enough cause for Lars to be glaring up at his cieling. Coupled with the fact that everyone had liked the fake Lars better than the original, makes him feel like shit. Well, almost everyone. Sadie had been glad to see him return to normal...However, those aren't the details currently causing his brows to furrow and his tan face to burn.

After the whole episode, Steven sheepishly admitted that, while in Lars's body, he had proclaimed his (Lars's) love for Sadie. Lars had been livid at that, going bug eyes and sputtering exasperated words so fast they were incomprehensible. But then Lars found himself asking how she reacted.

Steven's response felt like a kick in the gut.

God, is he really that big of an ass that she thought he would say the L word just to fuck with her? Probably. Yeah. If he's honest with himself, there had been a time where he might have done something like that for a laugh. But they're friends now.

And there's good reason, beyond the superficial, that he settled on friendship. As wishy washy as that label is for them at times (because of him), it works.

Its...easier. Being able to step back when his tongue feels like lead, or keep her at arm's distance when those flutters in his stomach start to overwhelm him? It's easier. At least he thinks it's easier.

He's such a useless, broken wreck unworthy of ...well, a lot of things. And one day Sadie will finally see that, and that makes him queasy. Lars feels the heat in his cheeks spread, burning his ears. An invisible hand constricts around his throat. He squeezes his eyes shut, cursing the sting of tears pricking at them. God, why does he even care so much?

 _Because she'll leave._

"Fuck," he whines, hating the way his heart wavers. It'll be easier though, he knows, if she realizes this while they're in the friend zone.

But the loneliness gnawing at him still sucks.

Lars picks up a pillow, and smothers his face with it. The cool pillowcase sticks to the damp tracks on his cheeks. He sniffles, the stale scent of corn chips filling his nostrils. He gulps, swallowing it all down and evening out his breathing.

He doesn't want to deal with all these stupid emotions.

So he doesn't.

* * *

God, he was such an annoying little shit.

Lars cringes each time a memory of something he had said or done in the past pops into his brain unbidden. Like the stupid lies that rolled off his tongue so he could ditch Sadie to man the storefront alone. "Oh, Lars," she sighed her disappointment when she caught on to the deceit. The image of her sullen face claws at his insides.

He currently shakes off the uneasy feeling of shame the memory causes, his stiffened shoulders relaxing, and the heat creeping up his neck receding.

It really is a wonder though how people like Steven and Sadie put up with him for so long. Lars bites his bottom lip. He reminds himself of all the good things he had done while on that alien planet, how he had truly helped and endured and grown. Lars reminds himself that he is trying to no longer be the jerk he once was.

Trying and succeeding are two different things, however.

Lars sighs at that thought, rubs away the crease between his furrowed brows, and goes back to wiping down the counter of the Big Donut. It's been a long, quiet day.

His eyes catch on the blur of pink reflecting on the glass case of doughnuts, and his motions slow for a brief second before he remembers that it's _him_ that he's seeing. He's still isn't quite use to it. There's a huge bottle of bronzer lying next to a box of hair dye waiting for Lars in his bathroom at home. He had every intention of using them when he bought them all those weeks ago, but…

"The pink really does look good on you," Sadie had said, moreover to break the somber quiet that filled her bedroom when he finished the tale of how exactly he had gotten this way. Her fingers was weaved with his, squeezed so tight Lars's hand had gone numb. Her lashes had been damp with tears, her eyes shiny with concern, her button nose twitched with a sniffle, but her lips were quirked up in a smile. "I'm..." She had chuckled that uneven laugh of hers, so much relief expressed in that small exhale. "I'm glad you're pink."

He understood Sadie meant she liked it in favor of the alternative, and he had gave a weak chuckle of his own in agreement. However, that had been over a month ago. Sadie still sweeps her fingers tenderly over his cheek, his elbow, his knuckles, and any other patch of skin she dared to touch with such awe and sweet affection that Lars can't help but think that maybe she genuinely liked the change.

Lars now goes about shutting down the doughnut shop for the night, locking doors and turning off lights. He fishes out his cell phone as he steps outside, thumb tapping on the messenger icon.

' _Just closed :p headed ur way. Ya want anything?'_

His phone buzzes a few seconds later with Sadie's reply: _pizza!_

His feet changes course. He responds with a thumbs up emoji. Then, with a smirk, a long line of pineapple emojis.

 _YOU BETTER NOT_ is her immediate response, and Lars has to choke back a loud bark of laughter. His shoulders shakes as a few chuckles slip out despite his efforts.

' _relax :p ur such a hater_ '

Lars walks into Fish Stew Pizza, shivering slightly at the sudden blast of air conditioning. A few long strides takes him to the register, where Kofi Pizza takes his order for a large meat lovers to-go.

Lars leans back on the counter. Dark brown eyes dart around the restaurant as he waits. He spies Ronaldo seated at a corner table, laptop open next to a plate of half-eaten pizza. Ronaldo's attention, however, isn't on either. He's too busy ranting about some crackpot conspiracy theory to Kiki. The girl nods as she listens, her hip resting on the side of Ronaldo's chair. Something about the way Kiki holds Ronaldo's gaze, a small smile tugging her full lips, makes Lars believe she's not listening simply to be polite. Weird.

Since when are those two friends?

Kiki laughs, and shrugs at whatever the blonde boy had said. She then glances at Lars...Wait, no. She glances at her father who's giving her a look as he works on boxing up Lars's pizza. She whispers something about getting back to work, and starts to make her way around to check in on customers and clear away plates. Ronaldo, on the other hand, _is_ looking at Lars now.

For a split second Lars thinks Ronaldo's going to get up and assault him, with curious questions that are way too prying and meaty hands that pinched and prodded roughly in overzealous excitement, for the millionth time since Lars returned to Beach City.

Instead he just stares at Lars, eyes squinted in mild suspicion. Lars rolls his eyes, and gives the larger boy a curt wave. See, _not_ some pink monster of the underworld masquerading as a human. Just plain old Lars. Ronaldo nods with his chin jutted out, but his fingers are going a mile a minute to mash away at his keyboard. Lars shakes his head at him, but finds himself giving Ronaldo a somewhat friendly smile. Such a weirdo.

Kofi hands over the warm pizza box then, grinning and thanking him loudly for his patronage.

Lars is halfway to the door when a smooth monotone calls to him. He turns to it, heart thumping in surprised delight. The Cool Kids. All crammed in one of the small booths that lined the wall. Buck is stretched out on the red cushion, one leg bent up at the knee, feet hanging off the edge of the seat, his back against the wall, one hand behind his head while the other rests on the yellow table. On the opposite side of the booth sits Sour Cream and Jenny. Sour Cream is playing on an old Gamepal one handedly, as his left arm is wrapped loosely over Jenny's shoulders. Jenny, still wearing her work apron, is toying with Buck's slender fingers on the table. She's cleaning his nails with the folded edges of ketchup packets, her thumb absently drawing circles on his knuckle as she does it. They all smile at Lars when he steps towards them.

How had he not notice them before?

"Lars," Buck Dewey greets once more with a two finger salute, "Hey."

"H-hi, guys!" Lars grins widely at the trio. A nervous jitter tickles his insides, making his voice crack as he speaks to them. "Wha-What's hippin-happening?"

Buck makes a small amused sound, and shrugs.

"It's been awhile," Sour Cream says, his blue eyes darting up to Lars's pale pink hair.

"Yeah," Jenny agrees with a nod that causes her hoop earrings to sway. "Come hang with us."

Buck sits up, repositioning his legs so they're under the table to make room. Lars beams. He almost takes the offered seat, but stops himself. He taps an unsteady staccato on the top of his pizza box.

"S-sorry, guys," he tells them before chewing on his bottom lip. "I uh kinda already got plans."

Jenny pouts, but shrugs to say it's okay. Sour Cream nods in understanding, his small smile still intact.

"Oh, well," Buck comments coolly, and lifts his fist. "Next time."

"Y-yeah! Next time for sure!" Lars promises with an enthusiastic nod and a wide grin. He fist bumps Buck a bit too hard. Lars cringes and sputters out an apology, but the mayor's son just flexed his fingers for a second. Though Lars could not see Buck's eyes behind his shades, Lars knows Buck is staring inquisitively at him. And then, a small grin curves Buck's naturally pouty lips.

"You're going to see your lady, right?" Buck suddenly asks.

Lars blinks in confusion. His face heats up when he realizes that Buck is talking about Sadie.

" _I'll help you believe it,"_ he had vowed after she gently confessed her uncertainty about him, about the feelings he admitted to having for her.

That day had went better than Lars had hoped. When he had been standing on her lawn, hand pressed to his chest to feel the faint yet steady beat of his heart as he tried to drum up the courage to face her again, he hadn't imagined he'd be greeted with a hug so powerful it literally knocked him off his feet.

That day was also the last time they had kissed.

He's not sure if the reason they're _not_ doing it is because Sadie needs time or space or something to that affect, or if it's because Lars still feels kind of shitty about...well, everything that's gone down between them. It'll be a lot easier to prove himself when they both know his actions aren't purely dependent on her affections, like a dog performing tricks for treats.

They do hold hands, however, whenever they go out together. Sometimes they would cuddle when they watched tv. And they always said their goodbyes with a hug.

Regardless, there hasn't been much discussion on if they're a couple now or not.

But Lars doesn't correct Buck when he finally answers the cool teen's question with a nod.

"The pizza will get cold if you walk," Buck states as he slides out the booth with a grace Lars would never have. Buck pulls his car keys out of his front pocket. "I'll give you ride."

Lars blinks again in surprise. Not waiting for a response, Buck strolls his way to the exit. Jenny, ripping off her apron and yelling her departure over her shoulder, follows with Sour Cream right behind her. Lars quickly stumbles forward to catch up.

He's knocking at Sadie's door five minutes later. He hears her shout "I'm coming!" as she runs to the door, and he smiles. The door swings open a moment later, and his smile widens at the sight of her.

Her blonde curls are in their usual style. A dimple peeks out beneath the apple of her cheek as she beams at him. A large, grey _Evil Bear 2_ shirt hangs loosely on her frame. Yoga pants paint her curvy legs black. Rainbow ankle socks don her little feet. Cozy. She looks cute and cozy. And he doesn't fight the urge to pull her into an embrace. It's a tad awkward, with Lars having to balance the pizza box between his hip and the crook of his arm. It's still nice though. Lars bends down to bury his face in her hair, inhaling her comforting scent of apples and cinnamon. Makes him think of Sunday mornings from his childhood, a hot bowl of that specific flavor of oatmeal heating his lap as he watched cartoons in the living room with his mother and father. Lars hums a peaceful sigh.

A car horn blares.

They jump apart.

"Oh," Sadie chuckles, hand nervously tucking hair behind her ear, when she glances behind him.

From the driver's seat of the car that's still parked under the streetlight, Buck gives Lars and Sadie a thumbs up. They both blush at the sound of Jenny cheering about how cute they are, accompanied by Sour Cream's much softer _whoo_ , as the trio pull off.

Lars chuckles and waves them goodbye, though his cheeks are still burning. He then moves to go inside but Sadie is inadvertently blocking the path. She's still looking after the now barely visible purple convertible. When she finally turns her gaze away to glance at Lars, her brow is raised.

He shrugs at her silent inquiry.

"You could've hanged with them if you wanted," she gently tells him as they step inside. She closes the door behind them, her head bowed. "It's not like we're not gonna see each other tomorrow."

Lars shrugs again. Sadie watches him while she grabs a stack of napkins off the kitchen counter to lay atop the cardboard box in Lars's hands. Her large eyes, pools of liquid stardust, sparkle up at him.

"Or you could've invited them to hang with us," she informs him. "I wouldn't have minded as long as you had texted me, so I could've changed. I like them. They're cool."

"I know they're cool, Sades. I've been telling you that for like ever."

She chuckles at his quick retort, but her gaze remains steady on him.

"So why didn't you?" she asks.

Lars shrugs once more, teeth gnawing on his bottom lip. Truthfully, he just didn't want to give up their night alone together. But it felt lame to say that aloud.

After a beat, she drops his gaze with a soft sigh.

"I know you've been working hard to prove yourself recently. But I don't want you to think you have to put everything else on the backburner for me."

Lars blinks, unsure where that assessment had came from.

"I'm not."

"You sure? I mean, since you've gotten back we've mostly done what I wanted to do. And you've been super considerate, and helpful at work. And -"

"Geez, Sadie. You make it sound like a bad thing," Lars huffs, hands squeezing a dent in the cardboard box. "I'm not a martyr or anything. Just trying to be less of an asshole."

"I know, I know," she rushes to say in a nervous exhale. "I just want to make sure I'm not...I dunno, taking advantage of you turning a new leaf?"

He tilts his head at that, and scoffs.

"Well, I'm here because I want to be," his mild annoyance gives him the courage to say. "Not because I feel like I have to or whatever."

She smiles sweetly, and his irritation melts away.

"Okay, just thought I'd make sure," she whispers kindly. "We're still finding a balance to this stuff, ya know?"

He nods, shuffling his feet.

"Thanks again for offering to do the evening shift alone," Sadie tells him as she takes the pizza box. "The course I've started online is a little more work than I thought it would be. It's been awhile since I've had to do school stuff on a regular basis."

She chuckles at herself. Lars makes a little noise in understanding, but shrugs off her gratitude. She had looked so tired when she clocked in this morning, and it had been a slow day. So, he took over. It wasn't that big of a deal. However...

"Working alone is super boring," he tells her. "So I demand entertainment for the rest of the night."

"Sure, Lars." She rolls her eyes at his playful command, but she's still smiling. "Let me get my feather boa, and I'll do my belly dancer routine."

He snorts, hands tucking into his pockets as they make the small trek to her bedroom in the basement.

"You say that like I wouldn't like it."

Her steps falter slightly, almost tripping on the stairs if not for Lars grabbing the back of her shirt. She flushes all over, muttering her thanks. He can't help but to laugh. She's so easy to fluster. It's hard to resist teasing her sometimes. She'd be awkward as hell trying to dance in one of those skimpy little genie outfits. But the mental image isn't a turn off for him. Kinda the opposite, really. But he shakes it off, opening her bedroom door for her and locking it behind him.

He takes a seat on her bed, toeing off his shoes and socks. He knocks away the herd of plushies, except for the green t-rex, so he can prop himself up on the headboard. Sadie rolls her eyes as he cuddles with the stuffed animal. The voice box inside the toy crackles to life, and Lars's pre-recorded voice comes out sounding distorted, like a witch doing baby-talk: "I'm a lil asshole, and I lurhve yooou."

He cackles, forever surprised she hasn't recorded over it yet.

The message use to be something similar, though Lars forgets the fat lizard's real name, done by Sadie's mom in a derpy voice that Lars had imitated perfectly. When he had returned to Beach City, after he had told Sadie of his adventures while he was away, it occurred to him that recording over her mother on the childhood toy might have been a jerk move. But she had blushed at his apology, and softly admitted that she liked his recording better.

Sadie joins him on the bed, flipping the pizza box open before she picks up a remote and plays the movie that's already waiting for them on screen. Lars drops the toy with its brothers on the floor. She hands him a drink from her mini-fridge. They eat as they watch the low budget sci-fi movie, each occasionally making snide remarks about the film's bad effects and even more terrible writing that has the other cracking up.

When it's over, Sadie hops up. She hums some pop song as she takes out the dvd. His foot bobs to the tune.

"Any requests on what to watch next?" she calls over her shoulder.

"Bust out that horror collection."

She nods at the suggestion. "Hauntings, or slasher?" she asks, pulling out a thick stack of dvds from her shelf. He hums in consideration, watching her stoop to the floor with the pile. She bounces on the balls of her feet, softly singing now, her hair swaying and her ass jiggling... He forces his gaze back to her face.

"Uh. Slasher."

She nods again, pausing her song to push away about half of the stack.

"Buckets of red goo or tasteful splatters?"

"Goo, _obviously_. C'mon, Sades."

She chuckles, pushing away another small pile from their choices. "Okay. Teens making bad decisions, or-"

"Is there any other kind?" Lars laughs, and she giggles along with him. "Just pick one. I'm fine with whatever."

She seems to debate over two in particular before she puts all the rejected movies away. The chosen one is put into the dvd player, and she rejoins him on the bed. She sits a little closer, her big toe grazing his leg. Her hand brushes his, and their fingers interlock until Sadie wiggles free of his hold to eat more pizza.

They watch the movie in relative silence, despite both having seen it before. There's a scene where two teens in the film have a rather heated makeout session, and Sadie grumbles about it adding nothing to the plot. Lars shrugs, eyes darting away from the television. Usually during scenes like this, Lars would crack jokes, make a few sarcastic quips, or tease Sadie until she's either rolling her eyes or red in the face. But nothing clever pops into his head. So he fiddles with the almost empty pizza box, still avoiding the screen as the characters' actions got more racy.

He can feel Sadie giving him sidelong glances all the while. Finally, she turns to him.

"Can I ask you something?" Sadie softly questions, muting the television just before the axe murderer slices his way into the lovers hiding place.

Lars nods, chomping into another slice.

"You um… You remember that one game night we had?"

She needn't say more. He instantly knows what's she's talking about, and he nearly chokes on his pizza. He stifles his coughs, discreetly hitting his chest before he gulps down a soda. His breath is a bit labored when he nods, his body hot.

"I was um thinking about it recently," she admits, and his palms gets sweaty. "And I...I dunno, it's not like it matters now, but...Did you...Did you plan for us to... _ya know_?"

He chews his lip for a moment, staring at the greasy pizza box.

"Planed? No. I had just wanted to chill with you."

She bristles slightly at the term. He winces at his stupidity for using it, though he had meant it in it's purest sense.

"Why'd you ask?" he questions in an attempt to distract himself from the shame of his past mistake. But once the words are out, he realizes he really does want to know. It's not like he had candles lit, or rose petals on the bed. He's pretty sure he had been clumsy and unskilled with her. Nothing gave the impression he had orchestrated them going all the way.

"You had a condom in your pocket," she points out.

"Oh. Yeah," Lars answers, still not looking at her. He scratches at his chin to appear more casual than he feels. "I kind of just always carry one? Dad mentioned it was a good habit to have."

"You have one now?"

Lars thinks he might have given himself whiplash from how quickly his neck snaps up. His eyes are wide, his slow heartbeat now hammering, his pants feeling a little tight, his pink skin flaming, a bead of sweat forming on his temple… All this from one softly spoken question passing through her lips.

"Y-yeah," he admits, the little foil packet suddenly burning a hole in his pocket.

She shifts a little, thick thighs rubbing together. The bed creaks beneath them. Her pink tongue glides over her upper lip before she shyly looks at him. Then… a small snicker breaks across her face. _That_ is not what he had been expecting, and his shoulders sag.

"You got a little..." she gestures towards his mouth. Oh. Lars licks his lips, but he must have missed whatever's on his face because Sadie shakes her head. She grabs a paper napkin, and lifts it up. She pauses after she scoots closer. "Can I…?"

He nods.

She swiftly wipes away the sauce above his chin, gently patting around his lips for good measure. He kind of feels like a child. Embarrassment creeps in, burning his pink skin. He must look like an idiot. Yet, when Lars dares to make eye contact, Sadie's round eyes sparkle at him.

His stomach swoops.

And then he's kissing her for all that he's worth.

Sadie moans into his mouth, returning the kiss with fever. Her lips are just as sweet as he remembers, but her tongue holds a tang that makes him grunt when it flicks over his. Her small hands ball into fists, clutching his shirt and pulling him closer. He nibbles on her lips. She crawls into his lap. His fingers play with her hair. The blonde strands are soft, and tickles the width of his palm. He tugs it, earning another gasp-like moan from her as her head falls back. The kiss is barely broken, their moist bottom lips still connected as their heavy breaths intermingle. Her lidded eyes stare back at him with trust and open desire.

His heart feels like it's going to burst.

Lars slants his mouth back over hers, the renewed kiss fueled with a burning passion he feels blazing deep in his gut. The hand on her nape massages her neck, while the other hugs the swell of her hip. She grinds down on his hard-on, and his breath rasps in his throat. They both shudder when she does it again, and his thrusts up to meet her.

He breaks the kiss to suckle the silky skin of her neck, tonguing her pulse. Her little gasps are music to his ears. He bites the tender flesh, and she rubs herself harder against him.

"God, Sades," Lars pants over the fresh love bite, licking away any sting he might have caused. He kisses down her neck, lips stalling over the collar of her shirt. He bucks against her warm center. " _Please_."

He's not even certain what he's pleading for. But Sadie answers by tugging his shirt up. He pulls back just enough to take over, yanking the fabric over his head and tossing it away. Her eyes dart up and down his bare torso. Her mouth finds his bobbing adam's apple, kissing down to nip at his collarbone, and then back up until the tip of her tongue is playing with his ear lobe. Her hands runs over the bumps of his spine, pressing him close as she leans back onto her mattress.

His legs shifts to line their hips back up, his arms bracketing her head, as he resumes their kiss. His foot hits something, and it falls off the bed. The pizza box makes the softest thud as it hits the carpet. Lars ignores it, busying himself with pushing up Sadie's shirt. Each sliver of skin that's revealed makes him a little more lightheaded. His hands are shaking when they unclasp the front facing hooks of her purple sports bra. Her chest, which had been compressed by the bra, jiggle enticingly upon being set free.

He takes a moment to just look at her. Memorizes the shade of pink that colors her neck up to her hairline. Memorizes the way her hair flares out about her head like some kind of golden halo. Memorizes the rise and fall of her bouncing breasts as she breathes a bit frantically.

She stares back, shyly sucking in the paunch of her belly. It almost makes him laugh. Instead, he finds her lips with his before circling his thumbs over her pebbled, pale pink nipples. She twitches and arches in pleasure. Careful not to pinch too hard, he caresses the perfect mounds for a long time. She keeps kissing him all the while, groping his backside and kneading his back..

He hears a light crinkle, her hand leaving his back pocket. He breaks the heady kiss, his lips tingling from going numb. Seeing the condom in her hand, while the other fumbles to find his zipper, makes him go dumb for a second. Pre-cum leaks from him as his breath hitches.

"Y-ya sure?" he summons the will to ask as she undoes his jeans.

Sadie sits up slightly. Her finger scratches at the coarse curls of his happy trail, making his pelvis jerk. Her kiss-bruised mouth opens, but no words come out. Her lashes bat at him, though, and she nods. A dumb grin curves his lips. He drops a kiss on her forehead before he pushes down his underwear and tight pants.

He wiggles a bit awkwardly to kick them off, the bed creaking noisily. And then he's naked. Her eyes zero in on the hard length between his legs. He bites his lip, unsure what she thought of him. He suddenly misses all the warm tones of soft brown that use to make up his skin. He kind of wishes she had gotten a good look of him the last time they did this. He's so fucking pink now, his erection almost looks purple. He must look like a freak.

But his insecurities are forgotten once Sadie wraps a curious hand around the thick shaft. She strokes him slowly, watching his reactions closely as her soft fingers tests pressures. He tries to keep his breathing even. She smiles when she sees his eye twitch. He tries to smile back, but it turns into more of a grimace. God, it feels amazing. _Too_ amazing.

With a panicked gasp, he stills her wrist and gently pushes her hand away.

He hides his red face in her bosom, and kisses his way down.

His fingers hook into her pants, his entire body moving with the thin material as he peels it down the curves of her legs. Lars nips at her ankle, nibbling his way up her calve. He then kisses the side of her knee, kisses the little dimple that resides there, and licks back up her creamy thigh.

Her gasp when he buries his face between her legs tickles his insides. He noses deep into the damp crotch of her panties. Inhaling her warm scent, and exhaling a pleasured groan. Teeth and fingers eagerly yanks the garment away. His mouth waters at the sight of her.

"Lars!" Sadie moans, squirming as his delving tongue lavishes her. Her nails rake through his hair, fingers pressing at his nape. Her legs widen for him, her juices flowing. He groans. _She tastes so freakin' good_. Hand pressing down on her hip to keep her thrashing to a minimal, he licks her all over until he finds the fleshy bud that has her seizing after only a few careful flicks of his tongue. She keens, loud and high pitched. Her thighs snap together. He chuckles triumphantly, easing the quivering limbs apart to free himself.

"Oh, wow," she sighs airly in ecstasy, body still quaking from aftershocks.

He's still grinning as he kisses around her belly button, wiping her slick off his chin as he does so. His hand gropes the sheets blindly until he finds the condom. He rolls it on, and lines himself up.

Their eyes meet. Their lips come together. And with a roll of his hips, he's inside her.

 _Fuck_. She's so freakin' warm, and wet, and soft. So unbelievably soft all over. Everywhere his hand lands is smooth and lush and squeezable. He rocks in and out in with jerky strokes that do nothing to hide his excitement. She feels so good. She _makes_ him feel good.

He strives to make her feel just as good.

And she's so sweet, and kind, and strong, and funny, and amazing and she's writhing beneath him and making the most beautiful sounds. It's crazy. Her walls are pulsing around him, trapping him snugly inside. As if he'd ever want to leave. This is incredible. Everything feels incredible. He looks at her face as she falls apart for the second time. Cheeks all flushed, lips quivering around a throaty moan, blissed out eyes shining...She's beautiful. So fucking beautiful. He… He…

"Fuckin' love you," he blurts before his eyes rolls back into his head with a grunt.

His whole body trembles as heat ripples through his core and shoots out in long, never ending ribbons. His hips keep rocking forward on their own. His mind goes blank as he gasps into the crook of her neck. The sting of her blunt nails biting into the sweaty flesh of his back doesn't register. Neither does his loud groan that echoed off the walls. _Nothing_ registers. At least not until he lifts his head a few minutes later, bleary eyes rapidly blinking as he tries to find his bearings.

Lars pushes himself up off her, mumbling an apology for collapsing on her. She exhales a little breathy laugh, as if it's funny that his meager weight could be a burden. He kisses the side of her mouth.

His hips pull back, and Sadie's small gasp when he leaves her warmth sounds almost mournful. Lars chuckles silently, a bit of pride swelling his chest. He leans back, carefully ridding himself of the condom, tying it off and tossing it into Sadie's nearly overflowing waste basket.

"Remind me to take out the trash," Sadie whispers when Lars lies back down, his arms pulling her side into his chest. "Really don't want to have _that_ conversation with my mom when she comes down tomorrow."

Lars snorts and snickers into her hair.

Minutes tick by in serene silence. His breathing slows to a steady rhythm. His eyes drift shut. His thumb, which had been absentmindedly caressing her hip, stills. He's pretty much on the brink of losing consciousness when he hears Sadie's voice, barely above a whisper.

"I love you too."

Lars's eyes fly open. His heart skips in disbelief. She can't mean that. God, doesn't she know she could do so much better? He holds her tighter, and he feels her body stiffen. Fear washes over him.

One day she'll see how broken and pathetic he is, how even with all his effort to do better, _be_ better, he's still ...well, him. And she'll leave. She'll leave him, Lars knows this to be fact, despite pushing back layers of cowardice to put his heart on the line to be with her.

She couldn't possibly love him. Not truly. He isn't worthy of it.

"You do?" he find himself asking, like some kind of masochist. She relaxes in his arms. She shifts and turns so she can look him in the eye. Sadie nods, her soft hand cupping his cheek as her thumb wipes away a tear he hadn't even realized he'd shed. Lars shakes his head, a smile gracing his lips before he dips down to kiss her. "Not sure I can believe that."

She pinches his dusky pink nipple, thinking he's teasing her. He jolts back at the small sting, and slaps her hand away. He frowns at her. She sticks out her tongue. And then they're laughing lazily, pecking each other's lips with sleepy kisses.

"I'll help you believe," she eventually sighs when the kisses cease. He smiles, wide and carefree like the happy idiot he is, against her lips. "I'll always help you if you let me."


End file.
